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My old troupe and instructors that I originally learned from (not in Cali, although that's where I've ended up) used the term "goosh step." It involved an upward figure 8, but that was combined with a sideways "Arabic 2" (flat-ball-ball-ball). So you'd get the "gooshing" effect of walking sideways with that slinky up-and-down hip flavor. And yes, I think that term did come from the old-time Jamila terminology.

I can do this "slightly" better - the flat to ball transition helps the gooshie part of this step and helps hide the twist!

My old troupe and instructors that I originally learned from (not in Cali, although that's where I've ended up) used the term "goosh step." It involved an upward figure 8, but that was combined with a sideways "Arabic 2" (flat-ball-ball-ball). So you'd get the "gooshing" effect of walking sideways with that slinky up-and-down hip flavor. And yes, I think that term did come from the old-time Jamila terminology.

Could you post a video of this? I don't know what I'm missing, but I can't see this in my head.

And BTW, I don't think I've weighed in yet on what was difficult for me. In my very earliest days, I had a really hard time with undulations -- I finally caught on one day when I was sorta dancing while some musician friends were practicing, and while they were playing something kind of flowy, I managed to pick up the feel for it.

But the hardest thing for me ever: I studied Suhaila method for several years, and those 3-on-2 things just drove me crazy. If you haven't experienced this, it's kind of hard to explain, but we would do these drill where the footwork is in three counts (such as a chasse -- LRL, RLR, etc.) layered with a hip move that is in two counts, such as basic hip up-and-down. The coordination is truly an evil mind twister. I got so discouraged trying to do this that I almost quit -- I told myself that after I used up my current class card I would stop going to class. But a couple of weeks later a miracle occurred and it all fell into place. On the outside I'm sure I looked like any normal member of the class performing the drill. But on the inside I was screaming, "I'm doin' it! I'm doin' it!"

There's not one specific movement these days. My eternal struggle is to not tense my neck, and to persuade my right hand to look elegant (I'm right-handed, so I have no idea why it's the right one that likes to impersonate a dead fish the minute I stop paying attention to it). Footwork used to be my bugbear because my first few teachers never really covered it and I didn't have any other dance background, but I spent a couple of years working hard on it & taking private lessons focused on it, and it's not really a weak spot anymore. Sometimes weak spots even eventually become your strongest points because you are forced to work on them so hard

I have the same thing with the left hand being much better than the right despite being right handed, and I know why. I carry bags on my right, so when I'm out and about with the headphones on it's the left that's free to dance along or at least have me think about it (wouldn't want to look weird or anything). Right hand doesn't get as much practice, simple as that.